Department for Transport

Railways: Okehampton

lord berkeley: To ask Her Majesty's Government, following the announcement by the Secretary of State for Transport in February that he had instructed Great Western Railway "to prepare plans to introduce regular train services to Okehampton", what progress has been made on such plans; and when they expect the service to start.

baroness sugg: The Department’s response to its consultation on the future of the Great Western franchise published on 28 August said that the Department would “continue to work closely with local partners and the current franchisee to deliver the ‘Metro West’ scheme and the reinstatement of regular services to Okehampton.” Until it is clearer what the scope of work is that will be needed to reinstate regular services on this route, it is not possible to give an exact date for that reinstatement.

Railways: Devon

lord berkeley: To ask Her Majesty's Government on which occasions the rail services between Exeter and Newton Abbott have been disrupted by weather; and what progress has been made on making this stretch of line more resilient.

baroness sugg: This an operational matter for Network Rail; the Department does not hold the information at the level of detail requested. The Government has been absolutely clear that ongoing investment in the South West’s transport infrastructure is key to unlocking the region’s economy, jobs and prosperity. Protecting the line at Dawlish is a national priority and we remain determined to find a permanent solution. £15m of funding has been made available to Network Rail to take forward to develop a solution. World-leading engineers have been carrying out detailed ground investigation to understand what is happening to the cliffs and coastline in three key areas around Dawlish and Teignmouth. These comprehensive studies are nearing completion, enabling Network Rail to show how they will take steps to protect the railway line and coastline.

Midland Main Railway Line: Electrification

lord bradshaw: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they have received any representations about lowering the projected costs of electrifying the Midland Main Line.

baroness sugg: We are committed to delivering the biggest upgrade of the Midland Main Line since its completion in 1870, enabling improved long distance services between Sheffield, Nottingham and London, and improved commuter services between Corby, Kettering and London. There will be up to 50% more seats into London, and a reduction of up to 20 minutes in journey times between Nottingham and Sheffield and London in the peak, with a brand new fleet of bi-mode trains from 2022. The Government has had initial representations from industry regarding lowering the projected cost of electrifying the Midland Main Line. Any future proposals will be considered in line with the Rail Network Enhancements Pipeline process published in March.

Electric Vehicles: Charging Points

baroness randerson: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the costs of the recommendation by the National Infrastructure Commission that the most convenient and cost-effective way of addressing range anxiety of electric vehicle owners is to locate ultra-rapid charging points in motorway service areas; and whether they intend to provide funding for such charging points in the near future.

baroness randerson: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the costs of upgrading the electricity network connection to the 54 motorway service areas necessary to provide fully effective coverage of electric charging points; andwhetherthey intend to provide funding for such work.

baroness sugg: No such cost assessment has been made by Government. National Grid has made its own assessment of the location and costs of providing this capacity at Motorway Services Areas (MSAs). The provision of high powered charging at MSAs enables Electric Vehicle drivers to make longer journeys and addresses fears of range anxiety, helping to remove a barrier to the uptake of electric vehicles. In July 2018, in the Road to Zero strategy, we announced our commitment to run pilots, working closely with Highways England, to increase electrical capacity at up to three MSAs. These pilots will look to understand the nature of the market failure at these locations, and whether a mixture of smart charging, storage, and onsite generation, alongside potentially an upgraded grid connection, can provide a cost effective solution to providing this capacity. The Automated and Electric Vehicles Act provides powers to require provision of chargepoints at MSAs and large fuel retailers should the market not deliver sufficient capacity. The National Infrastructure Commission (NIC) was established to provide independent, expert advice and to set out an ambitious long-term plan for UK infrastructure. The Government is considering the NIC’s recommendations. The NIC’s framework document sets out that the Government will endeavour to respond within 6-12 months of publication.

Crossrail Line

baroness randerson: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether the Secretary of State for Transport was aware that Crossrail would not open on time when he decided to grant the project extra funding in July.

baroness sugg: The Crossrail Board took the decision to delay the opening of the Elizabeth line central section between Paddington and Abbey Wood on Wednesday 29th August 2018. Crossrail Limited notified the Secretary of State of that decision on Thursday 30th August 2018. Crossrail Limited is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Transport for London.

Railways: Finance

baroness randerson: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they intend to introduce track access charges for open access train operators; and if so, what factors they will to take into account when setting those charges.

baroness sugg: The Government is not involved in setting track access charges. This is a matter for the independent Office of Rail and Road (ORR), which regulates track access and establishes the basis on which track access charges are set. However, the Government, as part of the ongoing regulatory periodic review process, has advocated the ORR setting track access charges for open access operators which more appropriately reflect the cost they impose on the railway. We support this as an important step in creating a more level playing field between franchised and open access operators.

Severn River Crossing: Tolls

baroness randerson: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether Highways England has conducted an impact assessment on the effect of removing tolls on the Severn Crossings; and whether they will publish any such impact assessment.

baroness sugg: Highways England and the Department for Transport have been working closely with the Welsh Government to prepare for the impacts following the removal of tolls at the Severn Bridges during December this year. Highways England and the Welsh Government will disseminate the technical assessment of the traffic impacts in due course.

Cars: Registration

baroness kennedy of cradley: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the latest data available on car registrations in the UK.

baroness sugg: At the end of June 2018, there were 39.4 million licensed and registered vehicles in the UK. There has been no specific assessment of this data.

Dover Port: Large Goods Vehicles

lord berkeley: To ask Her Majesty's Government on what dates, if any, the Secretary of State for Transport visited the port of Dover to see the movement of trucks into and out of ferries to the continent in the last two years.

baroness sugg: The Secretary of State for Transport visited the Port of Dover on Thursday 25 October 2018.

Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy

Financial Reporting Council Independent Review

baroness mcdonagh: To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the letter by the Secretary of State for the Department of Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy to Sir John Kingman, chairman of the Review of the audit regulator, on 8 October, what are the financial and non-financial costs associated with the request to extend the scope of the Independent Review of the Financial Reporting Council.

baroness mcdonagh: To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the letter by the Secretary of State for the Department of Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy to Sir John Kingman, chairman of the Review of the audit regulator, on 8 October asking for the scope of the Independent Review of the Financial Reporting Council to be extended,whether additional resources have been provided or requested to assist in the completion of that investigation.

lord henley: Sir John Kingman asked not to receive a fee for his role undertaking the independent Review of the Financial Reporting Council. Members of the Review’s Advisory Group are also not remunerated for their involvement. The additional request to Sir John Kingman to provide his thoughts alongside the Review on whether there is any case for change in the way in which audits are procured and audit fees are set will be accommodated in existing costs and allocated resources.

Foreign and Commonwealth Office

Pakistan: Religious Freedom

lord alton of liverpool: To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the answer by Baroness Williams of Trafford on 15 October, whether it is their assessment that rape; abduction; the burning alive of Christian parents, while their children were forced to watch; forced conversion; abduction leading to child marriage; and the imposition of capital punishment in the case of alleged blasphemy constitute persecution or discrimination.

lord ahmad of wimbledon: ​The Geneva Refugee Convention (and protocol) do not contain an explicit definition of persecution. The acts referred to are capable of falling within a pattern of behaviour that could constitute persecution, depending on the intention behind them and the particular circumstances. Any assessment of whether persecution is happening in a particular case would need to be informed by a full assessment of all of the relevant circumstances.

Gulalai Ismail

lord garel-jones: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assistance they will give to Gulalai Ismail, the Pakistani humanist and human rights activist who was arrested in Islamabad on 12 October before being released on bail with her passport confiscated.

lord ahmad of wimbledon: We are concerned by restrictions on freedom of expression in Pakistan, including the detention of human rights activists, in Pakistan. We are also concerned about constraints on the operating space for civil society and NGOs in Pakistan. The freedom to hold and express views without censorship, intimidation or unnecessary restriction is a cornerstone of democracy. The arrest and release under bail of Gulalai Ismail is a further worrying development against the backdrop of restrictions on fundamental rights in Pakistan.We regularly raise at a senior level our concerns about the human rights situation with the Government of Pakistan, including on the freedom of expression. I discussed human rights in Pakistan with the Minister for Human Rights, Dr Shireen Mazari, in September 2018.The British High Commission in Islamabad will continue to support civil society and NGOs in lobbying the Government of Pakistan to honour in practice its international commitments, including on freedom of expression.

Pakistan: Religious Freedom

lord alton of liverpool: To ask Her Majesty's Government what representations they are making to the government of Pakistan to ensure that Pakistan’s quota system for jobs is not used to place workers from religious minorities in menial occupations.

lord ahmad of wimbledon: We remain deeply concerned at the treatment of minority communities, including religious minorities, in Pakistan. As the Minister for Asia and the Pacific, The Rt Hon Mark Field MP, made clear in Parliament on 25 Oct 2018, "It is a priority for this Government to defend and promote the rights of not only Christians but peoples of all faiths and none so that they can practise their faith or belief without fear or discrimination".We regularly raise our concerns about discrimination against religious minorities with the Government of Pakistan at a senior level. I discussed the treatment of minority religious communities with Pakistan's Human Rights Minister, Dr Shireen Mazari, in September 2018.The UK raised concerns about Freedom of Religion or Belief at Pakistan's UN Universal Periodic Review of human rights in November 2017. We urged Pakistan to strengthen the protection of minorities, including by establishing an independent National Commission for Minorities from all faith communities.

UK Permanent Representation to the EU: Official Residences

lord balfe: To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer byLord Ahmad of Wimbledon on 18 September (HL9906), what are the cost, extent and purpose of the current building works, including refurbishment and routine maintenance, taking place at the residence of the UK's Permanent Representative to the EU.

lord ahmad of wimbledon: I refer the noble Lord to the answer I gave him on the 18 September [HL 9906].The Ducale Residence is a vital part of our diplomatic operations in Brussels, used by the UK Permanent Representatives to the EU and NATO and the British Ambassador to Belgium. Routine maintainance was carried out in order to repair the façade, secure loose masonry and protect window frames at a cost of £62,000.

Turkey: Detainees

lord balfe: To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon on 18 September (HL9905), whether they will now answer the question asked, namelyhow many cases of persons held in detention in Turkey have been raised with the government of Turkey as a result of discussions and decisions taken by the EU member states acting in political co-operation.

lord ahmad of wimbledon: ​We have participated in one coordinated EU action over detained Turkish citizens. This related to the imprisonment of the leadership of the People's Democratic Party (HDP) and its MPs in November 2016. The EU issued a statement at that time. As previously stated (HL 9905), we do not reveal details of all the cases we have raised. We will continue to cooperate with our partners in this important field.

Meng Hongwei

the marquess of lothian: To ask Her Majesty's Government what representations they have made to the Chinese authorities about the case of Meng Hongwei, the former President of Interpol; and what assessment they have made of whether the manner of his resignation has any implications for their confidence in the government of China inmultilateral organisations.

lord ahmad of wimbledon: We are aware of reliable reports that Meng Hongwei, the former President of Interpol, has been detained in China after travelling there in late September. We call on China to ensure all those detained have access to their choice of lawyer and are protected from torture and mistreatment in line with Chinese and international law and are monitoring the situation. As permanent members of the UN Security Council and with China’s growing global role, we will continue to work with China on important global challenges including through multilateral organisations such as the UN, G20 and WTO.

Yemen: Peace Negotiations

the marquess of lothian: To ask Her Majesty's Government what initiatives they are pursuing to broker a ceasefire in Yemen and prevent famine in that country.

lord ahmad of wimbledon: ​The UK's view remains that there can be no military solution to the conflict and we fully support the UN Special Envoy for Yemen in facilitating a credible peace process. On 15 March, the UK proposed and coordinated a UN Security Council Presidential Statement which reiterated the Council's call on the parties to agree on the modalities for a durable cessation of hostilities.We are extremely concerned at recent reports of the growing risk of famine to millions of Yemenis. The UK plays a leading role in combatting hunger in Yemen and on World Food Day (16 October) we announced a package of £96.5 million which will help UNICEF tackle malnutrition in Yemen over the coming three years.

Matthew Hedges

the marquess of lothian: To ask Her Majesty's Government what action they have taken in the case of Matthew Hedges, who is currently detained in theUnited Arab Emirateson suspicion of spying.

lord ahmad of wimbledon: Foreign and Commonwealth Office officials are supporting Mr Hedges and his family, and they have raised the case with the Emiratis at the highest levels. The Foreign Secretary and the Minister for the Middle East have personally raised this case with their Emirati counterparts. We are in regular contact with the Emiratis regarding Mr Hedges’ health and wellbeing, and we continue to push for consular access to ensure that he is given the support he needs.​

Burma: Crimes against Humanity

lord alton of liverpool: To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon on 17 October (HL10414) which stated that they were looking at the “option of an ad hoc tribunal” relating to crimes under international law committed in Burma, what assessment they have made of the consistency between this Answer and previous Written Answers byLord Ahmad of Wimbledon on 15 October (HL10370, HL10371, HL10372, and HL10373) which stated that judgments on war crimes and genocide were “a matter for judicial decision” rather than for governments or non-judicial bodies; and what powers would be given to any ad hoc tribunal in order to enable it to function as a judicial body.

lord ahmad of wimbledon: ​The Foreign Secretary has stated that the international community should consider all accountability options if referral to the International Criminal Court of the situation in Burma is not possible. This could include the possibility of the establishment of an ad hoc judicial tribunal, which could provide a clear, impartial and independent measure of whether genocide has occurred. The ad hoc tribunals for Rwanda and the former Yugoslavia, established under a mandate from the UN Security Council, functioned as judicial bodies. We would expect any future ad hoc tribunals, similarly mandated, to function as judicial bodies.

Jamal Khashoggi

lord lamont of lerwick: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether in their consideration of the implications of the disappearance of Jamal Khashoggi for British-Saudi Arabian relations they intend to take into account the allegations of illegal abductions of Saudi citizens to Saudi Arabia that were reported by the BBC in August 2017.

lord ahmad of wimbledon: ​We await the outcome of the investigations into the disappearance of Mr Khashoggi. We are treating this incident very seriously. The UK response will be based on the outcome of a credible, transparent investigation.

Israel: Bedouin

the earl of selborne: To ask Her Majesty's Government what representations they have made, or plan to make, to the government of Israel concerning the imminent destruction of the West Bank village of Khan al-Ahmar.

lord ahmad of wimbledon: At Prime Minister’s Questions on 17 October, the Prime Minister reiterated the UK’s strong opposition to Israel’s proposed demolition of Khan al-Ahmar and called on Israel not to go ahead with its plan to demolish the village. The Minister for the Middle East and North Africa last raised our concerns about the proposed demolition with the Israeli Ambassador to the UK on 11 October, and the UK's Ambassador to Israel last raised the issue with the Israeli authorities on 3 October.

Cameroon: Elections

lord boateng: To ask Her Majesty's Government what conclusions, if any, they have drawn from the discrepancy in turn-out between the Anglophone and Francophone regions of Cameroon in the presidential elections on 7 October.

lord ahmad of wimbledon: The African Union's Election Observation Mission found that violence affected polling in the Anglophone regions owing to fears about insecurity, intimidation by armed separatist groups, a call to boycott the election and the long distances and lack of transport available to reach the reduced number of polling stations. The Minister for Africa was concerned by reports of violence and casualties on polling day in Anglophone regions and by how difficult it was for citizens to vote there.

Jamal Khashoggi

lord lamont of lerwick: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether any government officials will attend the Future Investment Initiative in Riyadh on 23–25 October; and whether they intend to reduce any delegation or cancel attendance following the disappearance of Jamal Khashoggi.

lord ahmad of wimbledon: We decided and can confirm that no British Government representatives attended the Future Investment Initiative conference last week. As with the decision about attendance by the Secretary of State for International Trade, we decided that it is not the right time for officials to attend the conference.

Nepal: Overseas Trade

the earl of sandwich: To ask Her Majesty's Government what resources they provided via (1) the embassy in Nepal, and (2) from the UK, to improving the UK’s trade relations with Nepal in the last two years; and what resources they have provided in the current finncial year.

lord ahmad of wimbledon: The Foreign and Commonwealth Office funds a Prosperity Officer at our Embassy in Kathmandu, who is responsible for commercial and economic diplomacy work. The officer provides support to UK companies looking for opportunities in the Nepali market and is also responsible for working closely with the Department for International Development on economic policy and business environment issues. The Foreign and Commonwealth Office lobbies the Nepal government on various trade policy issues, including simplifying approvals for foreign direct investment and agreeing a double taxation avoidance agreement (DTA), to encourage more bilateral trade and investment. On the back of this work, the Government of Nepal has recently agreed to commence negotiations for a UK-Nepal DTA.On promoting trade and investment, the Embassy organised trade missions in 2014 and 2016, commissioned scoping studies in hydropower and education sectors which cost approximately £50,000 through the Global Britain Fund and supported the Lord Mayor's visit in early 2017.

USA: INF Treaty

lord jones of cheltenham: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the implications for the security of the UK of the announcement by the President of the United States of America that he intends to pull out of the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty with Russia, and whether they support such a move.

lord ahmad of wimbledon: ​Russia is engaged in a broad modernisation of its nuclear and missile forces. We share US concern at certain new Russian missiles. We believe the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty has played a valuable role in supporting Euro-Atlantic security and want to see it continue to stand but that requires all parties to abide by it. While the Treaty remains in force, we will continue our efforts to bring Russia back into full and verified compliance. We will work closely with US and other Allies on next steps.

Department of Health and Social Care

Prescription Drugs

lord hylton: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether the NHS rules and guidelines for psychotropic medicines apply equally to general practitioners, specialists, and consultants.

lord o'shaughnessy: All healthcare professionals are expected to follow professional clinical guidelines around the use of psychotropic medicines. Information about the use of medicines is also included in the summary of product characteristics for healthcare professionals and in the patient information leaflet.

Compulsorily Detained Psychiatric Patients

lord hylton: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether there is a recommended time after a person has been detained under the Mental Health Act 1983 at which there must be a comprehensive review of all the available medical evidence in that case.

lord o'shaughnessy: Every patient detained under the Mental Health Act 1983 must be assigned a Responsible Clinician, who must review cases regularly to make decisions about treatment, review detentions, and make decisions on discharge. These decisions are based on a consideration of a person’s mental disorder, of the risk the person may present to themselves or others, and on appropriate medical treatment being available for the person.If a patient disagrees, and is detained under section 2 and section 3 of the Mental Health Act 1983 - the majority of detentions - he or she is able to apply to a tribunal to appeal their section. Applications can also be made by the patient’s nearest relative. The Act sets out the required times when appeals can be made. Patients admitted to hospital for assessment under section 2 of the Act can be detained for up to 28 days and can appeal to the Tribunal within the first 14 days. For patients detained under the long term section 3, patients can apply once in the first six months of their detention and annually after that.The Tribunal will consider evidence such as a medical report, a nursing report and a social circumstances report on the patient’s case. In determining whether to discharge the patient, the Tribunal must have regard to the patient's history of mental disorder and any other relevant factors, what risk there would be of a deterioration of the patient's condition if he were to continue not to be detained in a hospital.In the absence of an application by the patient or their nearest relative, Hospital managers have a duty under section 68 of the Act to refer patients to a tribunal six months after the person was first detained. In addition hospital managers must refer any patients over 18 who have spent three years without the Tribunal considering their detention.

Mental Health Services: Locums

lord hylton: To ask Her Majesty's Government what percentage of permanent psychiatric and mental health practitioner posts in England are currently held by locums; and what assessment they have made of the impact of the use of locum practitioners on the quality and effectiveness of treatments.

lord o'shaughnessy: Information concerning the percentage of permanent psychiatric and mental health practitioner posts in England is not held centrally.Many locum workers are substantive employees, known to the trusts. By encouraging mental health trusts to offer bank staff long term placements the continuity of care is promoted.

Mental Health Services: Vacancies

lord hylton: To ask Her Majesty's Government how many posts for qualified psychiatrists and mental health specialists in NHS England are currently vacant; and what percentage of the total thisrepresents.

lord o'shaughnessy: The Department does not hold the information requested.

Nurses: Vacancies

baroness jolly: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the impact theclosure of the nursing policy unit had on nursing vacancies between 2016 and 2018.

lord o'shaughnessy: The Department has made no such assessment.

Nurses: Training

baroness jolly: To ask Her Majesty's Government what action they are taking to ensure access by nurses to continuing professional development.

lord o'shaughnessy: The Department recognises the importance of supporting employers in their responsibility for the development of the current workforce, which includes making available opportunities for nurses to meet the continuing professional development standards of the Nursing and Midwifery Council.Building on the recommendations made by the Health and Social Care Select Committee in its Nursing Workforce Inquiry, the Department is working with Health Education England, NHS Improvement and NHS England to consider the approach to and funding of continuing professional development.

NHS: Vacancies

baroness jolly: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether there is any requirement for NHS Trusts and Health Boards to collate data on how many (1) junior doctor, (2) consultant, and (3) nurse shifts go unfilled; and if so, to whomany such information is reported.

lord o'shaughnessy: National Health Service trusts are not required to report unfilled shifts for any staff group across the system in England.The requirement to collate such data by Health Boards is a matter for the devolved administrations.

Mental Illness: Prescription Drugs

baroness jolly: To ask Her Majesty's Government what estimate they have made of the financial cost to (1) the economy, and (2) the Exchequer, of people with mental health conditions who do not take their prescribed medication.

lord o'shaughnessy: The Department has made no assessment of the financial cost to the public purse and the economy of people with mental illness who do not take their prescribed medication.

Mental Illness: Prescriptions

baroness jolly: To ask Her Majesty's Government what estimate they have made of the cost of expanding the prescription charge exempt illnesses list to includemental health conditions.

lord o'shaughnessy: No such estimate has been made.

Mental Illness: Prescriptions

baroness jolly: To ask Her Majesty's Government (1) how many community prescriptions for mental health conditions were paid for by patients via prescription charges, and (2) what was the percentage of prescriptions for mental health conditions of overall community prescriptions in (a) 2015, (b) 2016, and (c) 2017.

baroness jolly: To ask Her Majesty's Government what percentage of community prescriptions for mental health conditions were issued to people (1) who were entitled to free NHS prescriptions, and (2) who had certificates that entitle them to free NHS prescriptions in (a) 2015, (b) 2016, and (c) 2017.

lord o'shaughnessy: We do not hold this data. Prescription forms do not include a clinical indication, therefore it is not possible to identify prescription items dispensed to treat mental health conditions.

Alzheimer's Disease

lord jones of cheltenham: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of Specialised Early Care for Alzheimer's.

lord jones of cheltenham: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assistance they give to carers in the early stages of helping sufferers of dementia, including Alzheimer’s; and what training and advice is available on Specialised Early Care for Alzheimer's techniques.

lord jones of cheltenham: To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to encourage care homes to adopt Specialised Early Care for Alzheimer's techniques to assist sufferers of Alzheimer’s.

lord o'shaughnessy: No formal assessment of Specialised Early Care for Alzheimer’s has been made. The commissioning of health and social care services to meet the needs of the local population in line with relevant clinical guidelines is the responsibility of clinical commissioning groups and local authorities.It is the responsibility of social care provider organisations by law, to ensure their employees are qualified and trained to carry out their duties including caring for people living with dementia. The skills and competencies that paid carers require in respect of dementia are set out in the Dementia Training Standards Framework. A copy of the Dementia Training Standards Framework is attached. In addition, the Government is committed to continuing to value, recognise and support unpaid carers to provide care in a way that supports their own health & wellbeing. That is why on 5 June 2018, the Department published the Carers Action Plan 2018-2020, setting out a cross-Government programme of targeted work to support carers over the next two years and we will ensure a clear focus on carers in the forthcoming Adult Social Care Green Paper. A copy of the Carers Action Plan 2018-2020 is attached. Dementia remains a key priority for the Government. We are committed to all National Health Service and care staff receiving appropriate training on dementia. The Care Certificate helps to ensure that newly appointed healthcare assistants and social care support workers have undertaken dementia training. Skills for Care has developed a number of resources and qualifications to support those who care for people with dementia. Information is not held centrally on the training and advice available on Specialised Early Care for Alzheimer’s techniques. The Government is not taking any steps to encourage care homes to adopt Specialised Early Care for Alzheimer’s techniques as it is prioritising the Dementia Training Standards Framework.   



Dementia Training Standards Framework
(PDF Document, 3.66 MB)




Carers Action Plan 2018-2020
(PDF Document, 522.7 KB)

Diabetes: Medical Equipment

lord morris of aberavon: To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the answer by the Earl of Courtown on 9 October (HL Deb, cols 9–11), how they are encouraging Clinical Commissioning Groups, including Southwark Clinical Commissioning Group, to make available free flash glucose monitoring devices.

lord o'shaughnessy: In January 2018, NHS England issued guidance in the form of a letter, dated 30 January 2018, to clinical commissioning groups (CCGs) concerning the provision of glucose monitoring devices. The guidance states that the treatment of diabetes and the provision of glucose monitoring devices is a service commissioned by individual CCGs. Local CCGs are responsible for deciding how they allocate resources dependant on the needs of their local population. A copy of this letter is attached. The South East London Area Prescribing Committee, of which NHS Southwark CCG is a member, has published an updated interim position statement relating to FreeStyle Libre Flash Glucose Monitoring, which is attached. Mechanisms are currently being put in place to support delivery of a local implementation plan. It is not possible to place an exact date for completion of the local implementation plan. However, it is anticipated that eligible patients will be able to access FreeStyle Libre on the National Health Service in south east London in autumn 2018. 



NHS England Guidance letter
(PDF Document, 55.74 KB)




Interim position statement FreeStyle Libre
(PDF Document, 79.25 KB)

Mental Health Services: Children

lord ouseley: To ask Her Majesty's Government how they intend to respond to the finding by the Education Policy Insititute that there has been a 26 per cent rise over the past five years in referrals to children's mental health services in England.

lord o'shaughnessy: The Government does not plan to issue a formal response to the findings of the Education Policy Institute.

Mental Health Services: Children

lord ouseley: To ask Her Majesty's Government what are the health and well-being consequences for children who were not accepted for treatment last year despite being referred for specialist mental health care.

lord o'shaughnessy: Some children and young people might find self-help or accessing support in schools more beneficial than a course of treatment in a specialist National Health Service mental health service and there are a range of reasons why children and young people may not access NHS services. A significant proportion of children and young people who seek help are legitimately signposted to other sources of help.For example, a child displaying signs of anxiety due to a troubled home environment might need a social care response. We know that some children and young people or their parents might prefer to receive help from voluntary sector services.

Mental Health Services: Children and Young People

lord ouseley: To ask Her Majesty's Government when they expect that all children and young people requiring specialist mental health treatment and care will be able to access such provision.

lord o'shaughnessy: Implementing the Five Year Forward View for Mental Health sets out plans for expansion of National Health Service children and young people’s mental health services so that by 2020/21 at least an additional 70,000 children and young people a year will be receiving evidence-based treatment.Implementing the Five Year Forward View for Mental Health also includes two waiting time standards for children and young people, that 95% of children (up to 19 years old) with eating disorders to receive treatment within a week for urgent cases and within four weeks for routine cases. A copy is attached.Transforming Children and Young People’s Mental Health Provision: a Green Paper was published in December 2017. This sets out measures to improve access by bringing mental health services into schools through a new workforce of Educational Mental Health practitioners.The Green Paper also announced the piloting of a four-week waiting time to improve access to NHS mental health services, which we will roll out in a number of trailblazer areas alongside the support teams. The precise rollout will be determined by the success of the pilots trialling a four-week waiting time standard and the securing of funding in the next spending review. A copy of the Green Paper is attached.Further plans for development of mental health services will be set out in the NHS Long Term Plan. 



Implementing the 5 Year Forward View
(PDF Document, 2.36 MB)




Children & Young People Mental Health Green Paper
(PDF Document, 1.14 MB)

Mental Illness

lord hylton: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether NHS guidelines require periodic reviews to be conducted in cases of patients with severe mental ill-health; and if so, whether both physical and mental health issues are reviewed at the same time.

lord o'shaughnessy: In general, mental health trusts use the Care Programme Approach (CPA), which is a framework for people under the care of secondary mental health services at high risk or with multiple, complex needs that require planning and co-ordination across different services. Government guidance on the CPA published in 2008 recommends that all patients placed on the CPA should receive a formal review at least every 12 months. Many trusts operate a policy of at least six-monthly reviews.In 2018/19, NHS England is developing a new framework for adult non-specialist community mental health services, which will set out updated recommendations on the co-ordination, planning and reviewing of physical and mental health care.

Heart Diseases: Screening

baroness jolly: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the effectiveness of the heart age test on the NHS website.

lord o'shaughnessy: The Heart Age Test offers advice on lifestyle changes that help reduce people’s risk of heart attack and stroke and which can improve overall health and wellbeing, and has strong clinical and academic support.As of September 2018, the Heart Age Test had been completed over 1.9 million times. In 2016, a British Medical Journal open paper was published, which analysed the first 500,000 test completions. The paper noted that estimated heart age was higher than chronological age for 79% of users and that demographic and risk factor profiles resembled the population of England.Public Health England is currently leading an evaluation of the September 2018 Heart Age Test campaign. The evaluation will assess reach and recognition of the campaign as well as the extent to which the campaign acted as a prompt to use the Heart Age Test.

Health: Screening

baroness jolly: To ask Her Majesty's Government what advice they provide to those under 40 years old about blood pressure and cholesterol tests.

lord o'shaughnessy: Health care professionals can provide an individual assessment in relation to blood pressure and cholesterol for those under 40, where, for instance, there is a strong family history of premature cardiovascular disease or a suspicion of familial hypercholesterolaemia, an inherited form of high cholesterol where cholesterol is doubled or more from birth.

Bradford Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust: GE Healthcare

lord freyberg: To ask Her Majesty's Government who owns the rights to use the real-time data used in the collaboration between the Bradford NHS Trust and GE Healthcare Providers; and whether Bradford NHS Trust will retain a fair share in the intellectual property derived from that partnership in line with the guidance produced by the Department of Health and Social Care,Code of Conduct for Data Driven Health and Care Technology, published on 5 September.

lord o'shaughnessy: NHS England co-wrote the Code to be used as guidance for best practice for those developing data driven technologies. The ‘rights’ to the real-time data will fall under the ownership of whoever was deemed data controller (defined by article 4 of the General Data Protection Regulation) in the collaboration between Bradford Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust and GE Healthcare Providers.

Multiple Births

baroness hodgson of abinger: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they plan to update the guidance by NHS England Saving Babies’ Lives Care Bundle to include advice on how to reduce poor outcomes in multiple pregnancies; and if not, why not.

lord o'shaughnessy: The Saving Babies’ Lives Care Bundle is undergoing review by an oversight group consisting of nationally recognised experts, including representatives of the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists and the British Maternal and Fetal Medicine Society. Upon completion of the review, and subject to necessary approvals, NHS England aims to publish an updated version of the Care Bundle.There are no plans to include a new, specific element relating to multiple pregnancies in the updated version of the Care Bundle. Guidance relating to the management of multiple pregnancies is currently available from the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE). The Twins and Multiple Births Association has promoted the widespread adoption of this guidance. The oversight group concluded that inclusion of an additional element specifically focusing on multiple pregnancies would and add little benefit beyond compliance with NICE guidance.

Multiple Births

baroness hodgson of abinger: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they plan to support a randomised control trial of the different growth charts used across England to monitor twin pregnancies in order to understand better how effective they are in preventing poor outcomes.

lord o'shaughnessy: The Department is aware of the Twins and Multiple Births Association’s launch in July last year of growth charts specifically designed to monitor twin pregnancies.The Department’s National Institute for Health Research welcomes funding applications for research into any aspect of human health, including pregnancy. It is not usual practice to ring-fence funds for particular topics or conditions. Applications are subject to peer review and judged in open competition, with awards being made on the basis of the importance of the topic to patients and health and care services, value for money and scientific quality.

Multiple Births

baroness hodgson of abinger: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether the Avoiding Term Admissions Into Neonatal units programme has been successful in reducing neonatal admissions in twin pregnancies.

lord o'shaughnessy: NHS England collects neonatal unit admission data. However, this data cannot be disaggregated to identify admissions of twins.

NHS: Negligence

baroness hodgson of abinger: To ask Her Majesty's Government how much they spent in each of the last five years on clinical negligence pay-outs; and what proportion of the NHS budgetthis equates to.

lord o'shaughnessy: The following table shows total Government spending on clinical negligence pay-outs managed through the Clinical Negligence Scheme for Trusts (CNST) and NHS England total funding for the past five financial years. Government spending on clinical negligence pay-outs for CNST in the last five financial years has accounted for between 1.1% and 1.9% of the total funding provided to NHS England during the same period.The rising costs of clinical negligence are a major concern and something the Government is committed to tackling, given that National Health Service resources used on clinical negligence are not available for front-line care. Building on the National Audit Office (NAO) report Managing the costs of clinical negligence in trusts, published in September 2017, we have been working intensively across Government and expect to set out more detail on the way forward in due course. The NAO report set out key recommendations for NHS Resolution to promote better and more consistent data, develop greater insight on the causes of clinical negligence claims and work more closely with legal services regulators. A copy of the report is attached.Financial YearGovernment spending on CNST clinical negligence pay-outs (£ billion)NHS England total funding (cash) (£ billion)Government spending on CNST clinical negligence pay-outs as a proportion of NHS England total funding2013-141.193.91.2%2014-151.197.31.1%2015-161.4100.51.4%2016-171.6106.01.5%2017-182.1109.81.9% Notes:The NHS England total funding figures represent the total amount of funding provided to NHS England through the mandate each year.The Government spending figures only cover spending specifically attributed to clinical negligence, principally pay-outs pertaining to CNST as managed by NHS Resolution plus associated administration costs. They do not include any unrecorded costs, for example staff employed by trusts to deal with claims. The figures do not include the cost of clinical negligence claims in primary care as primary care funding includes an unspecified element for indemnity premia.The Government spending figure for 2017-18 includes the cost of additional funding to cover the change to the Personal Injury Discount Rate in February 2017 from 2.5% to -0.75%.The figures do not include clinical negligence pay-outs relating to Department-funded indemnity schemes in respect of legacy bodies such as primary care trusts and Regional Health Authorities.



Managing the costs of clinical negligence 
(PDF Document, 900.14 KB)

NHS: Negligence

baroness hodgson of abinger: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether any funds are ring-fenced within the NHS budget to pay for clinical negligence; and if so, what amount is allocated for such funding.

lord o'shaughnessy: Clinical negligence costs for the National Health Service are funded in the vast majority of cases through contributions to NHS Resolution from NHS bodies that are members of its risk pooling schemes. A small number of historical claims relating to incidents before 1995 and claims against former NHS bodies receive central funding from the Department. Neither the risk pooling schemes nor the Department’s coverage of historical claims are subject to ring-fencing. NHS Resolution is collecting £1,984 million from NHS bodies in 2018/19 for settling and administering claims for the Clinical Negligence Scheme for Trusts, the largest of NHS Resolution’s risk pooling schemes.

Department for International Development

Nepal: Overseas Investment

the earl of sandwich: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the economy of Nepal and its attractiveness for UK investment; and to what extent, if any, they have invested in (1) hydropower, (2) tourism, and (3) medium-sized enterprises.

lord bates: DFID and the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) make regular assessments of the economy of Nepal and its ability to attract Foreign Direct Investment (FDI), including from the UK. Analysis suggests that there is potential for FDI in areas such as hydropower, education and tourism. However, constraints to investment remain from poor transport, energy and urban infrastructure, and aspects of the regulatory environment. The UK is working with the Government of Nepal to address these barriers to growth. DFID, through its funding of Investment Board Nepal, helped to secure $1.2bn of investment for the new Arun 3 Hydropower project, which will double Nepal’s hydropower generation and energy exports to neighbouring countries. DFID funding supported the Nepal Tourism industry to recover following the 2015 earthquake, and has supported the construction of and marketing for the Great Himalayan Trails. Support has also been provided to approximately 250,000 small-scale entrepreneurs and farmers to significantly improve their business practices, for example through better management of crop diseases, and contributed to increased incomes.

Nepal: Overseas Investment

the earl of sandwich: To ask Her Majesty's Government what investment, if any, the Department for International Development has made in Nepal in the last two years other than emergency relief; where any such investment has been made and in what sectors of its economy.

lord bates: Information on DFID spend in Nepal is available in the DFID Annual Report and Accounts. The most recent version of this publication (2017/18) reports that total UK ODA to Nepal was £88.2m in calendar year 2015 (of which £35.9m was humanitarian assistance) and £103.0m in 2016 (of which £13.2m was humanitarian assistance). Further information on the sector breakdown of UK ODA to Nepal for 2015 and 2016 is available from Statistics on International Development on GOV.UK. This reports that the three largest sectors of investment for 2015 (excluding humanitarian) were Government and Civil Society (£17.1m), Economic Infrastructure and Services (£16.9m) and Multisector (£6.4m). For 2016 the three largest sectors of investment were Government and Civil Society (£20.8m), Health (£19m) and Economic Infrastructure and Services (£15.8m).

Department for Education

Special Educational Needs

lord addington: To ask Her Majesty's Government what guidance they provide to local authorities as to when individuals with dyslexia or other long-term difficulties with literacy should qualify for appropriate assistance under the requirements of the Equality Act 2010.

lord agnew of oulton: Under the Equality Act (2010) a person has a disability if he or she has a physical or mental impairment and the impairment has a substantial and long-term adverse effect on his or her ability to carry out normal day-to-day activities. We have published guidance under the act on matters to be taken into account in determining questions relating to the definition of disability. 'The Equality Act 2010 Guidance’ on matters to be taken into account in determining questions relating to the definition of disability, states that a disability can arise from a range of impairments that includes developmental disorders such as dyslexia. This guidance is attached. Some children and young people with disabilities have special educational needs, in which case the Children and Families Act (2014) also applies. Both these acts impose duties on a range of bodies, including local authorities.



HL10629_Equality_Act_2010_Guidance
(PDF Document, 693.16 KB)

Ministry of Justice

Immigration: Appeals

lord roberts of llandudno: To ask Her Majesty's Government what recompense is made to individuals who at their own expense challenge appeals by the Home Office against immigration decisions made by Upper Tribunals.

lord keen of elie: The Court of Appeal may order the losing party to pay the winning party’s costs. That is the case regardless of whether the winning party was legally represented or not, although the costs that can be recovered by litigants in person are subject to some limitations set out in Rule 46.5 of the Civil Procedure Rules.

Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government

Local Government Finance

lord taylor of warwick: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of whether councils circumvent the rule against using capital budgets to fund services by making capital investments whose returns then fund day-to-day spending.

lord bourne of aberystwyth: Local authorities are required to keep their capital and revenue activities separate. This means that capital resources cannot be used to fund service delivery. This framework ensures that long term assets are not sold to provide for short term revenue expenditure which would be unsustainable.Where a local authority holds financial assets for the purpose of investment to benefit from capital appreciation and generating rental or interest returns, the income streams are classified as revenue and can therefore legitimately be used to fund service delivery. Ultimately, it is for an individual local authority to decide how to use the returns they receive on any capital investment they make.MHCLG is responsible for the capital framework that local authorities operate within. The statutory guidance on local government investments has been updated by MHCLG and was effective from 1st April 2018. One of the requirements of the updated statutory guidance is to set out what contribution a capital investment makes to the service delivery objectives of the local authority. This was done to ensure that local authorities consider their primary objective of service provision when making investment decisions.At an individual level full council will approve the capital budgets of their local authority each year and every local authority will be subject to an annual external audit. Local authorities also have a requirement to demonstrate that their activities comply with the best value duty.

Religious Hatred: Islam

baroness tonge: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of findings in the Statistical Bulletin,Hate Crime, England and Wales, 2017–18, published on 18 October, whichshows that more than half of religiously-motivated attacks in 2017–18 were directed at Muslims.

lord bourne of aberystwyth: The findings confirm the Government's assessment that we must deal robustly with anti-Muslim hatred and Islamophobia. The Government takes these hate crimes extremely seriously, and we are determined to tackle them. On 16 October the Home Office and the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government published a refreshed Hate Crime Action Plan to guide Government’s work against all forms of prejudice and discrimination over the the period 2018 to 2020. This includes a strong focus on tackling anti-Muslim hatred and Islamophobia through the Cross-Government Working Group to Tackle Anti-Muslim Hatred. In addition to this, the Government is providing TellMama, a specialist organisation allowing people to report anti-Muslim abuse, with £2.5million between 2016 and 2020, to boost reporting of Islamophobic and anti-Muslim incidents, and to support victims.

Ministry of Defence

Defence: Finance

lord moonie: To ask Her Majesty's Government what lessons, if any, they have learned from the French Loi de Programmation 2019–25 process.

earl howe: We and France routinely engage with each other when conducting strategic reviews. We welcome the clear path the latest Loi de Programmation Militaire sets towards France's defence spending reaching 2% of GDP by 2025, and have noted its main axes of investing in people; support and sustainment of current operational capability and renewal of the nuclear deterrent; investing in the emerging areas of cyber and space; and a greater emphasis on innovation, efficiency, research and development.

Defence: Procurement

lord moonie: To ask Her Majesty's Government what meetings the Secretary of State for Defence has had in the last two years with major prime contractors to discuss procurement strategies.

earl howe: It is not normal practice for procurement strategies to be discussed with individual companies as this might provide commercial advantage.

Type 45 Destroyers

lord moonie: To ask Her Majesty's Government how many operational defects on (1) HMS Daring, (2) HMS Dauntless, (3) HMS Diamond, (4) HMS Dragon, (5) HMS Defender, and (6) HMS Duncan were reported in (a) 2016, (b) 2017, and (c) 2018 to date.

earl howe: All complex systems suffer defects and require maintenance throughout their lives, and warships are no exception. Operational Defects can vary in their categorisation and severity, covering minor ancillary components to major defects. The information requested, up to and including 18 October 2018, is provided in the table below: SHIP201620172018HMS Daring23386112HMS Dauntless79130HMS Diamond220170127HMS Defender131093HMS Dragon156211254HMS Duncan135133129 We would not release more detailed information related to these figures as this would allow deductions to be made about a ship's capability and may affect operational security.

Armed Forces: Political Activities

lord pearson of rannoch: To ask Her Majesty's Government what restrictions there are on the political and public affiliations of serving soldiers.

earl howe: Armed Forces personnel are permitted to join political parties. However, all personnel are required to abide by the standards and values of their respective Service, at all times, whether on duty or off duty.As such, they are permitted to attend political meetings in a personal capacity, so long as they do not wear their uniform and their Service duties are not impeded. However, involvement in political marches or demonstrations are prohibited under Queen's Regulations as this may bring the Armed Forces into disrepute and breach their values and standards.

Department for Work and Pensions

Universal Credit

lord bassam of brighton: To ask Her Majesty's Government what percentage of claimants in receipt of Universal Credit who will be affected by managed migration they estimate will lose income as a result of the roll out of that scheme in 2019.

lord bassam of brighton: To ask Her Majesty's Government what percentage of those whose income may be reduced as a result of the roll out of Universal Credit through the managed migration process they estimate will be claimants in employment.

lord bassam of brighton: To ask Her Majesty's Government how many families in receipt of Universal Credit affected by any reductions in income caused by the managed migration roll out they estimate have children of school age.

baroness buscombe: The regulations to enact managed migration will come before Parliament this autumn and are subject to parliamentary approval. These regulations include transitional protection for claimants which will mean that no one will have a reduced benefit entitlement at the point that they move over to Universal Credit as a result of managed migration. They also provide additional protection to claimants receiving a Severe Disability Premium, to ensure they are not moved onto Universal Credit ahead of managed migration, and to provide financial protection to those claimants who have already moved over.In the legacy system there are £2.4bn of unclaimed benefits not taken up by people who need them, because they do not know about them. These regulations will ensure that 700,000 more people will get paid their full entitlement under Universal Credit, worth an average of £285 per month.

Social Security Benefits: Offenders

lord hain: To ask Her Majesty's Government what level of benefit is paid to prisoners upon release; and for how many weeks.

baroness buscombe: The level of benefit paid to prisoners on release and the length that this benefit is paid is dependent on the individual's personal circumstances. DWP Prison Work Coaches provide support to prisoners to make their claim to benefits, and for those prisoners engaging with the Prison Work Coach an advanced appointment will be made for as soon as possible following release. This could be for the same day that they leave prison. Prison leavers who are in financial need will be eligible to receive up to 100 per cent of their first month’s entitlement in advance.

Home Office

Sir Edward Heath

lord lexden: To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the answers by Baroness Williams of Trafford on 11 October (HL Deb, cols 177–9), what are the legal constraints, if any, on Her Majesty's Chief Inspector of Constabulary which prevent him undertaking areview of Operation Conifer carried out by the Wiltshire police.

lord lexden: To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the answers by Baroness Williams of Trafford on 11 October (HL Deb, cols 177–9), whether there are any provisions in law which would prevent them from conducting an independent inquiry into Operation Conifer.

lord lexden: To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the answers by Baroness Williams of Trafford on 11 October (HL Deb, cols 177–9), what communications have taken place between the Home Office and the Police and Crime Commissioner for Wiltshire since Operation Conifer ended.

lord lexden: To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the answers by Baroness Williams of Trafford on 11 October (HL Deb, cols 177–9), whether they have received any indication from the Police and Crime Commissioner for Wiltshire that he may be prepared to reverse his decision not to conduct an inquiry into Operation Conifer.

lord lexden: To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the answers by Baroness Williams of Trafford on 11 October (HL Deb, cols 177–9), what factors have led them to the conclusion that "there are no grounds for the Government to intervene" to instigate an independent inquiry into Operation Conifer.

baroness williams of trafford: Under Section 54(2) of the Police Act 1996, Her Majesty’s Chief Inspector of Constabulary is charged with inspecting and reporting on the efficiency and effectiveness of every police force maintained for a police area. Any reviews he carries out must be done for this purpose. In its most recent Effectiveness inspection of Wiltshire Police in 2017, Her Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire & Rescue Services judged the force to be “good”.There is no provision in law which would prevent the Government from commissioning an independent inquiry into Operation Conifer but the Government would need a clear justification for doing so. As it is, Operation Conifer has already been subject to considerable external scrutiny: from its own Independent Scrutiny Panel; from Operation Hydrant (which delivers the national policing response, oversight and coordination of non-recent child sexual abuse investigations concerning persons of public prominence), and; from Her Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary which in January 2017 considered whether the resources assigned to the investigation by the Home Office were being deployed in accordance with value for money principles.On this basis, and given Operation Conifer is an operational matter for the local police force and it is for the locally elected Police and Crime Commissioner to hold their force to account, the Government does not consider there to be grounds for the Government to intervene to instigate an independent inquiry into Operation Conifer.The Police and Crime Commissioner (PCC) for Wiltshire and Swindon wrote to Home Office Ministers on 17 October 2017 and 24 April 2018. A reply from the Minister for Countering Extremism was issued on the 15th December 2017. The PCC has not given the Home Office any indication that he may be prepared to reverse his decision not to conduct an inquiry into Operation Conifer.

Human Trafficking: Children

lord mccoll of dulwich: To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to theanswer by the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for the Home Department on 9 October (HC Deb, col 81WH) regarding the extension of the Independent Child Trafficking Advocates Scheme to the West Midlands, the East Midlands and the London Borough of Croydon, (1) what was the process, and (2) what criteria were used, in selecting local authorities for inclusion inthe scheme.

lord mccoll of dulwich: To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the answer by the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for the Home Department on 9 October (HC Deb, col 81WH), what proportion of child victims of trafficking in England and Wales (1) are currently eligible for an Independent Child Trafficking Advocate by virtue of being resident in one of the three early adopter sites for the scheme, and (2) will be eligible for an Independent Child Trafficking Advocate by April 2019 following planned extension of the scheme.

lord mccoll of dulwich: To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the answer by the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for the Home Department on 9 October (HC Deb, Col 81WH) regarding the extension of the Independent Child Trafficking Advocates Scheme, whether the schemes in the West Midlands, the East Midlands and the London Borough of Croydon will provide services to both UK national children and children of other nationalities.

baroness williams of trafford: We want to be able to test the revised ICTA model across a variety of areas with different demographics and characteristics to ensure that the right model can be rolled out nationally. The West Midlands, the East Midlands and the London Borough of Croydon all offer different opportunities and challenges, for example the prevalence of exploitation such as county lines and how the ICTA service interacts with the National Transfer Scheme, which will require engagement with the receiving local authorities and support providers.The ICTA service that will be implemented in West Midlands, East Midlands and the London Borough of Croydon will trial a revised model of ICTA provision. In line with the existing early adopter sites, the service will continue to work on a one-to-one basis with unaccompanied children who are separated from their family and their home country. The revised model will introduce a new role, an ICTA Regional Coordinator, whose role will be to focus on internally trafficked UK based children.The ICTA Regional Coordinator will take on a more strategic role for internally trafficked children, working with the range of professionals already supporting the child, rather than working on a one-to one basis with the child themselves. The Regional Coordinator will adapt to regional differences and use their in-depth and specialist knowledge, both in terms of the nature of trafficking and the existing provisions and services, to offer expert advice to those professionals who are working directly with children, on how best to safeguard the children in their care.The assessment of the Independent Child Trafficking Advocates: Interim Findings which was published in July, detailed that between 30 January 2017 and 31 January 2018 a total of 215 referrals were made to the ICTA service in the three early adopter sites. The interim report can be found on GOV.UK.Following the expansion of the service, by April 2019, the ICTA service will be available to eligible children in one third of all Local Authorities in England and Wales.

Hate Crime

lord pearson of rannoch: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether section 29J of the Public Order Act 1986 remains in force; and what assessment they have made of the extent to which interpretations by the police and Crown Prosecution Service of what constitutes hate crime has altered the application of that provision.

baroness williams of trafford: Section 29J of the Public Order Act 1986 remains in force. The police and Crown Prosecution Service definition of a hate crime does not change the application of Section 29J.

Asylum: Pakistan

lord alton of liverpool: To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the reply by Baroness Williams of Trafford on 15 October (HL Deb, cols 282–3), whether the Home Office will now reclassify the systematic attacks on religious minorities in Pakistan as persecution rather than discrimination.

baroness williams of trafford: All asylum and human rights applications from Pakistan nationals are carefully considered on their individual merits in accordance with our international obligations.Each individual assessment is made against the background of the latest available country of origin information and any relevant caselaw. This is based on evidence taken from a range of reliable sources, including reputable media outlets; local, national and international organisations, including human rights organisations; and information from the Foreign and Commonwealth OfficeOur country policy and information notes on religious groups in Pakistan are published on the gov.uk website and kept under constant review, updated periodically.If a person can show that they would suffer serious persecution based on their religion on return to Pakistan, then it is likely they would be granted international protection.

Asylum: Pakistan

lord alton of liverpool: To ask Her Majesty's Government how many claims for asylum in the UK were successful in respect of religious minorities from Pakistan over the past five years.

baroness williams of trafford: All asylum claims lodged in the UK are carefully considered on their individual merits against a background of relevant case law and up to date country information. We ensure that claimants are given every opportunity to disclose information relevant to their claim under a convention reason as set out in the 1951 Refugee Convention.The data required to answer the question is not recorded in a way that can be reported on accurately. The Home Office does not electronically record the grounds on which an individual claims asylum and so we cannot iden-tify how many asylum claimants, from a specific country, have been granted asylum due to a religious minority claim. This data could only be obtained at disproportionate cost.However, the Home Office publishes figures on the outcome of all asylum claims in the Immigration Statistics release. A copy of the latest release, Immigration Statistics Year Ending June 2018, is available from https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/immigration-statistics-year-ending-june-2018-data-tablesThis data release shows that there have been 2,982 grants of asylum to claimants from Pakistan over the past five year (periods Q2 2013 to Q2 2018).



Immigration Stats year ending June 2018 
(Excel SpreadSheet, 1.01 MB)

Refugees: Children

lord hylton: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether, since the transfer of 549 unaccompanied children to the UK from the Calais region for reunion with their families in the UK, they are no longer searching for other similar children in transit in Europe; and if so, why not.

baroness williams of trafford: In October 2016, the UK acted decisively and on an exceptional basis at the time of the Calais camp clearance to remove 769 vulnerable unaccompanied children from a dangerous situation where they were at risk of violence and abuse. Our action resulted in 220 children being relocated to the UK under section 67 of the Immigration Act 2016, and the remaining 549 children being transferred to reunite with family members already in the UK.On 11 October we laid a new Immigration Rule, which created a new form of leave for any of these cases that have not already been granted a form of leave. This leave will only be available for those that were bought over as part of the Calais clearance exercise in October 2016, who were under the age of 18 at this time, and who had recognised family ties in the UK. Individuals who qualify for this leave will have the right to study, work, access public funds and healthcare, and can apply for settlement after ten years.We continue to meet our obligations under the EU Dublin III Regulation to transfer unaccompanied children with qualifying family legally present in the UK as soon as possible. We have liaison officers based in Italy, Greece and France working with Member States’ governments and partner organisations to identify eligible children and support them through the Dublin process.As part of the Sandhurst Treaty, signed between the UK and France in January 2018, we announced a number of measures to support unaccompanied children into the asylum system and through the Dublin process. This includes agreement on shorter timescales for referral and transfer un-der Dublin and a £3.6 million development fund to support eligible claims through the Dublin process and ensure those children who are not eligible for transfer to the UK are informed of their options.

Immigration Controls

lord hain: To ask Her Majesty's Government on what grounds Miss Teresa Fay Harris was refused entry to the UK at London Heathrow airport on 4 September, despite previous visits to the UK and her past immigration history.

baroness williams of trafford: We do not comment on individual cases.

Immigration Controls

lord hain: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether a minimum time interval applies between an individual being issued with a Notice of Refusal by immigration officers and subsequently being removed from the UK; and whether any such timing was adhered to in the case of Miss Teresa Fay Harris.

baroness williams of trafford: The standard notification period is a minimum of 72 hours before removal however there is an exception for port cases where, if removal occurs within seven days of refusal, there is no need to provide 72 hours’ notice.In relation to Miss Teresa Fay Harris we do not comment on individual cases.

Department for Exiting the European Union

UK Trade with EU

lord taylor of warwick: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of whether a 21-month transition period after 29 March 2019 is too short to finalise a trade agreement with the EU.

lord callanan: We are working at pace to ensure that the necessary arrangements for our future partnership are in place for 31 December 2020.

Department for International Trade

Kazakhstan: Foreign Relations

viscount waverley: To ask Her Majesty's Government what was the outcome of the UK–Kazakhstan Intergovernmental Commission on Trade, Economic, Scientific, Technical and Cultural Cooperation meeting held in Astana on 8 October.

baroness fairhead: My Rt Hon Friend, the Minister of State for Trade Policy, attended the UK-Kazakhstan Intergovernmental Commission. The IGC highlighted UK companies’ collaboration in the oil and gas sector and promoted opportunities for UK companies in the mining, agriculture, financial services and infrastructure sectors.TheCityUK offered the Astana International Financial Centre expertise to develop its corporate governance, and training to develop its staff in the UK; Kazakhstan confirmed that Kazatomprom will be the first major state-owned company to be part privatised, with a dual listing on the London Stock Exchange and the new Astana exchange.A Memorandum of Understanding between UK Export Finance (UKEF) and Kazakh Invest was signed, affirming UKEF appetite to support Kazakh projects and the ambition to increase procurement from the UK.

Financial Services: Kazakhstan

viscount waverley: To ask Her Majesty's Government what additional support they intend to offer the Astana International Financial Centre following the UK–Kazakhstan Intergovernmental Commission on Trade, Economic, Scientific, Technical and Cultural Cooperation held in Astana on 8 October.

baroness fairhead: My Rt Hon Friend, the Minister of State for Trade Policy, attended the UK-Kazakhstan Intergovernmental Commission in Astana where he held a bilateral meeting with Governor Kelimbetov of the Astana International Financial Centre (AIFC).TheCityUK were in attendance and offered the AIFC assistance to develop its corporate governance, and training to build its capabilities; learning from UK financial expertise.HMG in collaboration with City of London representatives are pleased to offer support to Kazatomprom, which will be the first major state-owned company to be part privatised, with a dual listing on the London Stock Exchange and the new Astana exchange; part of an ambitious privatisation programme set by Kazakhstan.

Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport

Museums and Galleries: Fees and Charges

lord crathorne: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they intend to introduce entrance charges for overseas visitors to visit national museums and art galleries.

lord ashton of hyde: Free entry to museums is government policy; indeed, retaining free entry to the permanent collections of our major national museums and galleries was a 2017 manifesto commitment. There are no plans to change this position. We are proud that our world-leading museums are open to all; free entry is vital to participation, removing a financial barrier to experiencing collections which have been left to the nation in perpetuity. Since the introduction of the policy of free entry to the DCMS-sponsored museums, we have seen visitor numbers rise dramatically, particularly among young people, hard to reach groups, and overseas visitors.

Broadband: North Yorkshire

lord crathorne: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of superfast broadband coverage in North Yorkshire.

lord crathorne: To ask Her Majesty's Government what percentage of dwellings in North Yorkshire have access to superfast broadband.

lord ashton of hyde: According to Thinkbroadband, 90.75% of premises in North Yorkshire currently have access to Superfast Broadband. Further premises will be connected through both the Department’s Superfast roll-out and commercial delivery.

Mobile Phones: North Yorkshire

lord crathorne: To ask Her Majesty's Government what percentage of North Yorkshire has geographic mobile network coverage.

lord ashton of hyde: Ofcom publishes mobile coverage data at the local or unitary authority level. Its latest report, published on 2 October 2018, shows geographic mobile coverage in the North Yorkshire area, split by local or unitary authorities. This can be found in the attached table.  



North Yorkshire Mobile Network 
(PDF Document, 17.92 KB)

Museums and Galleries: Copyright

lord freyberg: To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Ashton of Hyde on 15 October (HL10413), whether they will encourage all museums and galleries to publish annually their net operating costs in relation to income generation from image licensing to assure the public that, “the total income for the accounting period must not exceed the cost of collection, production, reproduction, dissemination, preservation and rights clearance of the information, together with a reasonable return on investment”, as stated in the Guidance on the implementation of the Re-use of Public Sector Information Regulations 2015.

lord freyberg: To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer byLord Ashton of Hyde on 15 October (HL10413), what advice, if any, they plan to give museums and galleries who regularly fail to monitor and apply the standard cost of capital in relation to income generation from image licensing as set outin the Guidance on the implementation of the Re-use of Public Sector Information Regulations 2015.

lord freyberg: To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Ashton of Hyde on 15 October, what assessment they have made of whether a notice by the Information Commissioner’s Office in relation to image fees would apply to national museums and galleries.

lord freyberg: To ask Her Majesty's Government what independent body is responsible for advising on the exception to marginal cost pricing procedure to provide assurance to the re-user of public sector information (PSI) and to demonstrate that the public sector bodies are complying with PSI Policy and trading fairly.

lord freyberg: To ask Her Majesty's Government, further tothe Written Answer byLord Ashton of Hyde on 15 October(HL10413), what assessment they have made of whether the sum of money that a museum charges for image fees should be calculated in relation to their costs for complying with that particular image request, and not based on the proposed re-use.

lord ashton of hyde: As arm’s length bodies, DCMS-sponsored museums determine their own operational matters, including the decision to charge fees for re-use of images of items in their collection. It is not appropriate for my department to intervene in these matters. It is for each accounting officer to ensure that their organisation follows what is set out in the Re-use of Public Sector Information Regulations 2015 and publish information accordingly. The complaints mechanism is available in the Regulations to be used if any re-user feels that the Regulations are not being followed. The Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) is responsible for compliance and notices are also a matter for the ICO in the context of any particular complaint considered by it.

Public Sector: Internet

lord hunt of chesterton: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they plan to review the assistance they and private sector providers offer to people with limited digital skills or understanding, in the light of the increasing number of public support and information services being provided online; and what assessment they have made of the adequacy and funding requirements of services provided to people living with disabilities in accessing public services online.

lord ashton of hyde: We are committed to improving citizens’ digital skills and particularly those with limited skills and understanding. We recently published our plans to improve adult basic digital skills by updating the national standards setting out the digital skills people need to get on in life and work and introducing improved basic digital skills qualifications at two levels:‘beginner’ designed for adults with little or no prior experience of using digital devices or the internet.‘essential’ designed for adults with some experience of using digital devices and the internet but lacking the full range of basic digital skills needed for life and work. We are also introducing a national entitlement to basic digital skills courses from 2020, similar to the existing legal entitlements for English and Maths. In the interim, we will continue to support the provision of basic digital skills training for adults in colleges and community learning centres across England through the Adult Education Budget and other programmes, including the Future Digital Inclusion programme funded by DfE managed by the Good Things Foundation and delivered through the 3,000 strong Online Centres network. To date, this programme has supported over 800,000 adult learners to develop their basic digital skills, many of whom are socially excluded. We have also established the Digital Skills Partnership (DSP) to bring together organisations from private, public and third sectors to improve digital skills and capability levels. The Government launched a Digital Inclusion Innovation Fund in September 2018 to support innovative projects aimed at helping older and disabled people. Government ensures its services are accessible by design and has also committed to ensuring that assistance to access its services is always available for those who are not online. Government departments are mandated to provide assisted digital (offline) support for their services where it is required. Video Relay Service (VRS), for example, is available for some government services, including for claiming welfare benefits. VRS allows two parties in two separate locations to connect remotely via a British Sign Language (BSL) interpreter so BSL users can make and receive telephone calls. The three parties involved in the call (caller, called party and interpreter) can all be in different locations.

Women and Equalities

Special Educational Needs

lord addington: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the case for including specific provisions for (1) dyslexia, and (2) other long-term difficulties with literacy, in the Equality Act 2010 in order to improve the provision of assistance for people with such conditions.

baroness williams of trafford: The Equality Act 2010 provides protection for any person with a condition that meets the Act’s definition of disability – that is, “a physical or mental impairment which has a substantial and long-term adverse effect on a person’s ability to carry out normal day-day activities.” The 2010 Act does not, except in a few specific instances, mention by name the conditions that automatically fall within the definition of disability. This is because in most cases, it is the impact on the person’s life that is the qualifying criteria rather than the condition itself. The only specified disabilities in the Act are Cancer, HIV and Multiple Sclerosis.